Pliers



March 8, 1949. c, MEAD 2,464,145

PLIERS Filed Sept. 29, 1944 2 Shets-Sheet 1 l L C.Mead

BY M M ATTORN EYS March 8, 1949. c, M D 2,464,145

PLIERS Filed Sept. 29, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 6

INVENTOR L. Mead Mm' ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 8, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PLIERS Lawrence C. Mead, Turlock, Calif.

Application September 29, 1944, Serial No. 556,423

6 Claims.

This invention relates to pliers of the adjustable-jaw and compound-lever type; major objects being to provide a pliers of this general character so constructed that the handles will have a minimum spread and action regardless of whether jaws are adjusted for small or large work; one in which the jaws remain under the control of the handles when adjusting or shifting the jaws for difierent sizes of work; one in which the maximum separation of the jaws in any adjusted position is overlapped by the minimum separation of the jaws in an adjacent adjusted position so that the pliers can operate on any size work within its minimum and maximum range; and one so constructed that the jaws remain substantially parallel to each other in any position of movement or adjustment.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly efiective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similiar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the pliers when set at its smallest position of adjustment.

Figure 2 is a view of the opposite side of the pliers when in the adjusted position of Fig. 1, and with the jaws fully closed.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross section on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of the pliers with the jaws fully open and set in the intermediate position of adjustment.

Figure 5 is a similar view, showing the jaws open and set in the longest position of adjustment.

Figure 6 is an edge view of the pliers.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary elevation of the leverage-increasing handle member, detached.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, one member of the pliers comprises a flat elongated plate-like body I, having a jaw 2 on its outer end and a handle 3 projecting from its opposite end; the jaw and handle being both extended laterally from body I on one side thereof so that the latter is relatively recessed.

The cooperating jaw 4 is formed on the outer end of a plate-like shank 5 which extends to the inner end of body I and is pivotally mounted ill thereon by a pin 6 which is located substantially midway between the extremities of the pliers. Jaw 4 is laterally offset from shank 5 on the side facing body I, and the shank at its pivoted end rests on a ledge 1 at the base of the body so as to leave a space between the body and shank above said shoulder and under the jaws.

Projecting into this space is a flat lever plate 8 which is pivotally connected to shank 5 by a bolt 9 projecting from the corresponding side of the lever at a point intermediate pin 6 and the jaw 4 but relatively close to the latter. In order that the pliers will not be unduly thick and bulky, the lever is relatively thin, and is therefore braced along one side by a flange H] which overlaps the adjacent edge of shank 5 when the pliers are closed, as shown in Fig. 3. A full-width handle I l projects from the base of plate 8 in opposed symmetric relation to handle 3.

Formed in body I concentric with pin 6 and radially out from bolt 9 a short distance is an arcuate slot I2 having a row of V-shaped notches l3 in its outermost edge. Fixed on the adjacent side of lever plate 8 radially out from bolt 9 a short distance, is a single tooth l4 working in the slot to engage in any notch; the axial line of the tooth being substantially radial with the axis of bolt 9 in a general direction lengthwise of the lever and handle. A short stud l5 rigid with the tooth projects therefrom and carries a nut l6 overlapping the side edges of the slot so as to hold the parts of the pliers at that point against possible lateral separation. The tooth and pivots 6 and 9 are so disposed relative to notches it (which are radial with axis of pin 6) that between the fully open and closed positions of the handles and jaws when the tooth is engaged in any notch, the axis of bolt 9 sweeps across a radial line drawn through the axis of pin 6 and such recess, as indicated in Fig. 4. With such relative movement of the handles, the tooth turns in its notch about the bolt 9 as an axis (as does lever B, of course) the width of the notch relative to the tooth being suflicient to permit of such tooth movement. Since the shank 5 of jaw 4 is pivoted some distance from the jaw, separation of the jaws between their extreme limits does not materially affect their parallelism. Also, since the shank 5 on which the lever is mounted swings in and out with any change of the tooth from one notch to another, the angular relation of the handles with any fully open position of the jaws in the difierent adjusted settings thereof is not materially afiected.

This feature insures against the possible undesired disengagement o. the tooth from any notch,

since the lever and its handle ll must assume a position substantially at right angles to handle 3 before the tooth will become longitudinally alined with the slot 12 and hence movable along the same from one notch to another. The slot, of course, extends beyond the notches a suificient distance to allow of the necessary freedom of relative rotation of the tooth into and out of the endmost notches.

Great operating leverage is obtained due to the short distance between bolt 9, which connects the lever with jaw 4, and the tooth M, which forms the fulcrum between the lever and body I on which jaw 2 is mounted.

The spacing of notches i3 is such as to provide for an overlap of jaw-separation spacing between the fully open position of the jaws in one adjusted position, and the fully closed position of the jaws in the adjacent adjusted position. i

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A pliers comprising a body plate having a jaw on one end and a handle projecting from the other end, a cooperating jaw having a shank, a pivot between the shank and plate adjacent its junction with the handle, the plate being recessed between its jaw and such pivot point whereby to provide a lateral space between the plate and shank, a lever projecting into said space and having a handle disposed in cooperating relation with the first named handle, a pivot connecting the lever and shank at a point on the latter relatively close to the corresponding jaw, there being an arcuate slot formed in the plate concentric with the first named pivot and V-notches radial with said pivot along one edge of the slot; and a V-shaped elongated tooth fixed on the adjacent side of the lever to ride in the slot upon turning of the lever a predetermined amount notches are in the radially outermost edge of the slot radial with the first named pivot.

4. A pliers as in claim 1, in which the slot is radially out from the last named pivot and the notches are in the radially outermost edge of the slot radial with the first named pivot; the tooth being radial with the last named pivot in a general direction lengthwise of the lever and its faces including a smaller angle than the faces of each notch.

5. A pliers as in claim 1, in which the slot is radially out from the last named pivot and the notches are in the radially outermost edge of the slot radial with the first named pivot; the toothfaces including a smaller angle than the faces of each notch and said tooth being radial with the last named pivot in a general direction lengthwise of the lever and insuch relation to the plate and shank that the last named pivot, upon turning of the lever about the tooth and any notch bottom as a fulcrum, to swing the shank to open and close the jaws, will shift back and forth past a radial line drawn through the first named pivot and said notch.

6. A pliers as in claim 1, in which the slot at the end thereof toward which the lever is swung l to dispose the tooth lengthwise of the slot, ex-

tends beyond the adjacent endmost notch.

LAWlFtENCIE. C. MEAD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 623,337 Rydberg Apr. 18, 1899 1,520,613 Thim Dec. 23, 1924 1,546,139 Leveque July 14, 1925 2,144,180 Cruickshank Jan. 17, 1939 2,320,303 Ross May 25, 1943 2,321,430 Smith June 8, 1943 

